Fall in New Cases Raises Hope in Virus Outbreak in China

KEN MORITSUGU / The Associated Press Feb 12, 2020 China's National Health Commission says 2,015 new cases were tallied on Tuesday, down from nearly 3,900 a week ago. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Big Pharma, Bad Policy Are Keeping the World From Ending AIDS

By Vijay Prashad / Independent Media Institute Nov 28, 2018 Dec. 1 marks the 30th World AIDS Day—and despite leaps forward in medicine and awareness in affluent parts of the world, it’s still a big problem elsewhere. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

And the Worst Natural Disaster Is …

Staff / Truthdig Nov 7, 2011 An article in The Lancet argues that earthquakes are particularly devastating when compared with other natural disasters. Earthquakes "frequently affect populous urban areas with poor structural standards" and they impair emergency responders. Shifting tectonic plates killed more than 780,000 people in the last decade. (more) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Aspirin: Cancer-Fighting Wonder Drug?

Staff / Truthdig Dec 8, 2010 Aspirin has been touted as a potential heart helper, and Tuesday, the British medical journal The Lancet released some evidence that the humble analgesic might also reduce the risk of dying from various forms of cancer, and by an impressive percentage in some cases. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Study: Alcohol More Harmful Than Crack

Staff / Truthdig Nov 2, 2010 Startling but true, according to one of those expert sources that make these kinds of pronouncements: Alcohol is more harmful to both users and those around them than crack cocaine. It's worse than heroin too. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Study: Herpes Drug Can Slow HIV Progression

Staff / Truthdig Feb 15, 2010 A study published in The Lancet has found that aciclovir, a drug frequently used to treat genital herpes, could "help people with HIV infection stay healthy for longer," according to Dr. Jairam Lingappa, leader of the research team out of the University of Washington in Seattle. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Time to Get Off the Tanning Bed

Staff / Truthdig Jul 29, 2009 Tanning salons everywhere might want to start broadening their business horizons, as cancer experts have just put tanning beds in the same category as arsenic and mustard gas when it comes to the whole probably-will-kill-you factor. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘To Health’?

Staff / Truthdig Jun 26, 2009 A study published in The Lancet medical journal concludes that the effects of alcohol should be viewed in the same light as the effects of smoking. Alcohol consumption is linked to one in every 25 deaths worldwide, the study said. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

New Hope in the Fight Against AIDS

Staff / Truthdig Dec 1, 2008 World AIDS Day turns 20 today, and while we still don't have a vaccine, researchers continue to make lifesaving breakthroughs. A team at the World Health Organization in Geneva recently came up with a "thought experiment" that, according to a mathematical model, could end the AIDS epidemic in Africa in only a decade. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Blow Against the Common Cold?

Staff / Truthdig Feb 18, 2008 It turns out a little echinacea might go a long way toward preventing a cold and reducing the duration of a cold, especially when combined with vitamin C. A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases analyzed 14 other studies and flies in the face of other research that has showed no positive effect from echinacea. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Another Take on Death Toll Among Iraqis

Staff / Truthdig Jan 10, 2008 The tragic task of tallying the number of Iraqis who have been killed in the war has been attempted by various parties with vastly different results, largely because of built-in logistical issues, and now the WHO's health ministry has released its own figures while acknowledging the impossibility of precision. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraq Bans Blackwater, Launches Investigation

Staff / Truthdig Sep 17, 2007 The Iraqi government has ordered employees of the North Carolina-based security firm Blackwater USA to leave the country and is opening a criminal investigation following Sunday's deadly shootout in Baghdad, during which a group of Blackwater contractors escorting a convoy of U.S. officials opened fire on nearby civilians. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )